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PhD

General Requirements - Students accepted into our Ph.D program must demonstrate excellent graduate coursework performance, pass the Qualifying Exam, and demonstrate satisfactory progress in research during the first four semesters of their graduate study at Ohio State. After passing the Qualifying Exam, the student's progress will be monitored by his or her faculty advisor. In accordance with The Ohio State University Graduate School policy, each student must pass a Candidacy Examination after having completed all required course work. Upon passing the Candidacy Examination, the student becomes a Ph.D Candidate. The Ph.D Candidate will then complete a satisfactory Ph.D Dissertation and Oral Examination. Additional requirements, such as residency and guidelines for preparation of the dissertation, and time limits are explained in the Graduate School Handbook. In general, a student may complete the Ph.D degree in five years, depending on the research area and if he/she already has a Master's of Science (M.S.) degree.

Credit Hour Requirements - 80 credit hours are required for the Ph.D. degree. The credits are broken down into the following categories:

Core Courses - The minimum requirement is 15 credit hours. These courses and the material prerequisite to them must be mastered by all Ph.D. students.

Advanced Coursework - The minimum requirement is 12 credit hours. Graduate level courses in chemical and biomolecular engineering or other scientific, mathematics or engineering disciplines are to be selected to fit the candidate's goals with the consent of the advisor.

Research Requirements - At least 53 credit hours of research (CBE 8999) are required. It is recommended that each student select a research topic by the end of the first semester of work in the Ph.D program. A satisfactory dissertation, as judged by the advisor and the Reading Committee under the Graduate School Rules, must be submitted as one of the requirements for the Ph.D degree.

Tranferring Masters Degree Credits - If a student has a Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering from another university, they may transfer it as 30 semester hours of credit. This will change the requirements for the following: Advanced coursework from 12 to 6 credits and Research Credits from 53 credits to 29 credits.

Teaching Experience Requirements - After successful completion of the first year of Ph.D coursework, students are required to gain Teaching Experience as an instructional associate (IA) by assisting a faculty member in teaching chemical engineering courses for one semester per year. Each Ph.D. student must fulfill two IA assingments. If students are required to serve additional terms, they will be hired as a graduate teaching associate (GTA). Prior to starting the IA service, each student must complete the required training and orientations.

The purpose is to experience interactions with students and other responsibilities that may affect career decisions with regard to teaching. When possible, participation in at least two different courses will be required, with the selection made by the Department Graduate Studies Committee Chair or designee in consultation with the student and the student's advisor. Responsibilities include: conducting recitations, holding office hours, grading and possibly presenting a few lectures and/or supervising and grading experiments in laboratory courses.